Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula as Brazil heads for presidential runoff
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has finished ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but fell short of the majority required for an outright win. The two will contest an October 25 runoff after a result that defied polling and delivered major gains for the right in Congress.
Brazil’s presidential election will be decided in a runoff between Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after Bolsonaro finished ahead of the incumbent in the first round. With more than 99% of votes counted, Bolsonaro had about 47% and Lula 45%. The result was stronger than opinion polls had predicted for Bolsonaro and was accompanied by significant gains for right-wing politicians in Congress.
The October 25 runoff will give both candidates three weeks to appeal to voters who supported other contenders. Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, who together won about 5.3 million votes, had previously said they would not endorse either candidate. Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
Flávio has promised to pardon his father if elected. Lula, 80, said the result was unexpected but declared that a two-candidate campaign would allow voters to compare the candidates’ proposals. Bolsonaro said the result marked “the end of an era” for Lula’s Workers’ Party.
The election also produced a strong performance by Bolsonaro-aligned candidates. The supplied report says 34 of the 54 elected senators were from the right or far right. Jair Bolsonaro’s sons Carlos Bolsonaro and Jair Renan won legislative seats, while his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, won a Senate seat.
The campaign has focused on crime, the cost of living, democracy and Brazil’s relationship with US President Donald Trump.
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